New IRA bombing fuels fears of global militant network tied to Iran, Hezbollah

A vulnerable dissident statement group, nan New IRA—linked to Iran and Hezbollah—claimed work Tuesday for a car explosive extracurricular a Belfast constabulary position earlier informing of further attacks, according to reports.

The blast targeted a Police Service of Northern Ireland position successful Dunmurry, pinch constabulary expanding patrols aft nan group threatened to target officers astatine their homes.

A 66-year-old man was besides arrested Tuesday nether coercion laws pursuing nan explosion, Reuters reported.

In a connection attributed to nan "leadership of nan IRA," nan group said nan explosive was meant to termination officers leaving nan station. It warned that anyone cooperating pinch constabulary "will beryllium severely dealt with."

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Forensic investigators inspect nan tract of a car explosive that exploded extracurricular Dunmurry constabulary position successful South Belfast, (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)

A 2020 study by The Times, citing accusation from an MI5 informant, alleged connections among nan New IRA, Lebanon-based Hezbollah, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The study said individuals linked to nan group signed a book of condolences pursuing nan 2020 killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani successful a U.S. drone onslaught successful Baghdad, raising concerns astir imaginable outer support, including weapons and funding.

"The New IRA–Hezbollah nexus is simply a useful information constituent successful a overmuch larger pattern: nan operationalization of nan alleged axis of resistance," erstwhile Defense Department intelligence serviceman Andrew Badger told Fox News Digital.

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The European Union designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps arsenic a violent organization, pinch Ursula von der Leyen pledging accelerated implementation pursuing a convulsive crackdown. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto)

"This joins Russia, Iran, China, North Korea and an expanding chair of aligned non-state actors—into a moving logistical and tradecraft web crossed nan globe," Badger said.

"What we are watching is nan maturing of a hybrid warfare model, pioneered and led by Russia and Iran, successful which adversaries of nan Western-led bid progressively stock tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) crossed geographies and ideologies," said Badger, nan co-author of "The Great Heist."

The New IRA’s latest bombing besides follows a akin attempted car explosive onslaught connected different constabulary position extracurricular Belfast conscionable weeks ago. It is 1 of respective militant groups that reason nan 1998 Good Friday Agreement and want to extremity British norm successful Northern Ireland and found a agreed Ireland.

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The New IRA, linked to Iran and Hezbollah, claimed work Tuesday for a car explosive extracurricular a Belfast constabulary station. (AP Photo / Peter Morrison)

It has carried retired a bid of attacks successful caller years targeting constabulary and information forces.

"The existent situation for section Irish constabulary and information services is that these groups now compound each other’s learning," Badger added.

"A maneuver battle-tested successful 1 theatre tin beryllium successful nan hands of a dissident compartment successful different wrong months—and Western counter-terror structures simply aren’t wired to way that benignant of cross-pollination," he said.

"A Lebanese Shia militia training a hard-left Irish statement faction would person looked exotic 10 years ago," he added.

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"Today it is accordant pinch a wider pipeline including Russian sabotage cells using section criminal proxies successful Europe and Iranian-directed assassination land connected U.K. and U.S. soil."

"The playbook of these actors—proxies, dual-use logistics, weapons-and-finance pipelines, exploitation of grievance movements successful nan target country—appear to beryllium converging," Badger added.